1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging method. More particularly, the present invention relates to an MR imaging method that uses short-time scan acquisition and deformable registration to compensate for bladder motion during imaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to recent studies, over the last few decades, the incidence of bladder cancer has increased significantly and has become the fifth leading cancer incidence (after lung/bronchus, prostate, breast and colon) and the eighth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Additionally, management of bladder cancer is a challenge due to high recurrence rate, e.g., as high as 80%, after local tumor resection. As can be appreciated, early detection of bladder cancer or other abnormality is crucial for improving patient prognosis and treatment.
Conventional fiber-optic cystoscopy (OCy) is an accurate method for diagnosis and surveillance of bladder cancer. OCy, however, is invasive, costly, provides a limited field of view for the clinician during use, and has been known to cause urinary tract infection.
MR imaging provides a non-invasive method for evaluating the bladder. Such a method typically uses short-time and/or long-time scanning protocols. Short-time scanning, however, suffers from low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and long-time scanning can introduce motion artifacts resulting from T1 and T2 relaxations of the bladder due to urine inflow, colon motion, peristalsis, and lung breathing.
Therefore, a reliable, non-invasive and easy-performance method for bladder imaging and/or evaluation is needed.